Global Voices » Amira Al Hussaini

Egypt: “Are you Happy Morsi?”

Amira Al Hussaini — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:42:09 +0000

Egyptian Ahmad Khalil tweets [ar]:

الكهرباء قطعت من الساعة 9.5 وبالتالى النت قطع ، لعلك سعيد يا ريس مرسى ؟؟ نحن نعيش فى العتمه والقادم اسؤأ

@ahmad_khalil:The electricity has been out since 9.50am and as a result there has been no Internet. Are you happy President Morsi? We are living in darkness and the future looks worse.

KFC Deliveries Smuggled into Palestine Through Secret Tunnels

Amira Al Hussaini — Sat, 18 May 2013 22:15:33 +0000

Palestinian Anas Hamra, from Gaza, claims he got his Kentucky Fried Chicken delivered – after a seven hour wait. His story tallies with a recent New York Times report which says that Gazans are getting their KFC deliveries, from Al Arish, in Egypt, where they are smuggled through secret tunnels.

After ordering his meal, he jokes [ar]:

راحت علينا الكنتاكي الحكومة صادرت وجبتي يفضح عرظها

@AnsRed: We have lost our Kentucky meal. The government has confiscated it, may it [the government] be scandalised

He then adds:

تم الإفراج حسب الإتصال عن 100 وجبة كنتاكي من لجنة الأنفاق التابعة لحكومة حماس الان وجبتي قادمة تباً خوفتيني عليكي يا وجبة!

@AnsRed: I was told on the phone that 100 Kentucky meals have been released by the tunnels committee run by the Hamas government now and that my meal is arriving. I have been worried about my meal.

Anas Hamra, from Gaza, claims he got his KFC after a seven hour wait

And he continues:

@AnsRed: am still WAITEN, actually am gonna have it as my breakfast for the next day! Sigh!!

When he finally gets his meal, Hamra shares its picture on both tumblr and Instagram.

On Instagram, many question whether his post was for real and Hamra confirms that he has indeed ordered a family size KFC meal. His assessment of the meal?

like an Egyptian KFC lol but cold

Mohammed Hassona, from Gaza, tweets [ar]:

أكل الكنتاكي علينا حق #غزة

@impalestinian: Eating Kentucky is our right #Gaza

And Michael Heaton quips:

@MichaelHeathon5: Kentucky Fried Chicken in Gaza? Havent those people suffered enough?

However, the Facebook page of the enterprise which runs the delievery service has since announced the discontinuation of the deliveries:

زبائننا الاعزاء : تم ايقاف طلبيات الكنتاكي وذلك لظروف خارجة عن ارادتنا… شكرا لاهتمامكم جميعا بهذا الموضوع

Dear customers,
The Kentucky deliveries have been stopped due to reasons beyond our control. Thank you all for your interest in this topic

At least Hamra got his KFC treat and tweeted and Instagramed the experience.

Bahrain Jails Six Twitter Users for Insulting King

Amira Al Hussaini — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:12:17 +0000

Six Twitter users have been sentenced to a year in prison each by a Bahrain court today for allegedly insulting King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on the micro-blogging site.

According to the government-run Bahrain News Agency, the “six suspects” where charged in five different cases “related to the misuse of freedom of expression and defaming His Majesty the King on twitter.” It added the six were “charged [with] misusing freedoms of expression and opinion publically and remanded .. in custody ahead of their trial.”

According to the London-based Bahrain Press Association those sentenced are [ar]:

المحكمون بالسجن في #البحرين بتهمة إهانة الملك في #تويتر هم: المحامي مهدي البصري، محمود طارش، محسن عبدعلي، حسن عبدعلي، حسن عبدعلي، عمار مكي.

@BahrainPA: Those sentenced to prison with the charges of insulting the king on Twitter are: lawyer Mahdi Al Basri, Mahmood Taresh, Mohsin Abdali, Hassan Abdali, Hassan Abdali and Ammar Makki.

Tweets that won't land you in trouble in Bahrain

The name Hassan Abdali appears twice and Global Voices Online cannot verfiy whether it is two separate people or a mistake. A query by Global Voices remained unanswered at the time of writing this post.

The association added:

@BahrainPA: BPA: consider these sentencing unfair provisions that violate the freedom of Expression

Meanwhile, the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights says five Twitter usershave been sentenced to a year in prison – and calls for their immediate release:

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) demands:

the immediate release of those who were arrested due to freedom of opinion and expression and to drop all charges against them;

put an end to the restrictions against social media in Bahrain;

protect the free exchange of information on the Internet and not restrict it.

The sentencing sparked criticism online.

Bahraini Freedom Prayers sees the sentences as a threat to silence other dissidents:

@FreedomPrayers: Last year twitter users sentenced to 6months. This year the offering reached 1yr. If the rest didn't shut up, next it will be 5yrs. #Bahrain

From Cambridge, the UK, author Toby Matthiesen tweets:

@TobyMatthiesen: Bahrain court jails 6 tweeters for a year for “insulting” the King. Another sign of GCC trying to limit Twitter impact

And researcher Marc Owen Jones challenges:

@marcowenjones: They couldn't arrest everyone if they all insulted the King on Twitter. Or could they…? #Bahrain

Lebanon: Blogger Beaten for Taking Photos

Amira Al Hussaini — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:32:04 +0000

Lebanese blogger Habib Battah narrates how he was held against his consent, forced to delete photographs of ruins from his phone camera and repeatedly assaulted in this post on the Beirut Report. When he reported the case to his local police station, the officers in charge said it was his word against theirs. He adds:

(more…)

After Two Years in Hiding, Bahraini Blogger Ali Abdulemam Flees to London

Amira Al Hussaini — Sun, 12 May 2013 09:48:48 +0000

Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam surfaced in London, after escaping from Bahrain, where he has been in hiding for two years. In absentia, Abdulemam, 35 years old, was slapped with a 15-year prison sentence for belonging to a terror organisation and for seeking to topple the government.

The Atlantic details his escape from Bahrain in a secret car compartment through the causeway which links Bahrain to Saudi Arabia. From there, Ali fled to Kuwait, and was then smuggled by fishermen into Iraq. He then travelled from Basra to Najaf and boarded an Iraqi Airways flight to London, where he was granted political asylum.

The founder of locally-censored Bahrain Online, Abdulemam is also a contributor to Global Voices Advocacy, our free speech defence arm.

Abdulemam's story has been the talk of the netizens since it's details were unveiled.

From Bahrain, Ahmed Ali says:

@ahmedali_: Ali Abduleman is sadly not the first person to have found himself obliged to escape his country. Nor will [he] be the last.

Zuhair Al Ghatam shares a concern many have:

سعادتي بسلامته وطمأنة عائلته ومقدرتهم ع رؤيته ومحادثته وتواجده لخدمة الثورة لاتوصف لكني لا زلت مستغرب لماذا تم نشر قصة هروبه؟

@z_alghatam: My happiness with the safety of Ali and the reassurance of his family and their ability to see and speak to him as well as his appearance to serve the revolution cannot be described. But I am still surprised why the details of his escape have been published.

He continues:

ربما تكون قصة هروب #علي_عبدالإمام أثبتت مدى هشاشة مباحث أمن الدولة ولكنها قد تكون بداية معاقبة المسافرين في زيادة التمحيص والتدقيق

@z_alghatam: Perhaps the story of Ali Abdulemam's escape showcases how fragile the state security apparatus is but it is also the beginning of punishing all travelers by increasing security procedures

And Hussain Yousif, a co-founder of Bahrain Online, who is also in exile, warns:

إلى أحبتنا وإخوتنا المختفين والمطاردين في البحرين، أرجو أن لا تجركم الفرحة بخروج عزيزنا وصديقنا علي عبدالإمام إلى التفريط في شيئ من احتياطكم

@hussain_info: To our dear [friends] in hiding and being hunted [by the authorities], I hope that your happiness with the escape of our beloved friend Ali Abdulemam doesn't let you put your guard down

Turning attention to the UK, Freedom Prayers, from Bahrain, tweets:

@FreedomPrayers: #Bahrain king had a meeting #UK queen today. Had she inform him that her country granted political asylum to his opponent blogger?

She adds:

@FreedomPrayers: If #UK willing to give political asylum to those #Bahrain accuse with terrorism, why not tell it to stop fake trials & release detainees?

And continues, in a tweet to the UK Foreign Office, saying:

@FreedomPrayers: . @foreignoffice there r 1500+ political detainees in #Bahrain like @abdulemam , will u give political asylum to them all? Ur best efforts?

pic.twitter.com/uHtA73aw2H">

All Smiles. Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam arrives at Gatwick Airport in London. Photograph shared on Twitter by @alaashehabi

@alaashehabi: Photo of @abdulemam just after he arrived in Gatwick airport safe & sound after a long journey out of #Bahrain pic.twitter.com/uHtA73aw2H

Others, like prominent Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah, have other concerns [ar]:

صديقي المناضل البحريني علي عبد الامام بعد سنوات من الاختفاء تمكن من الخروج من البحرين، المفروض نباركله على الحرية ولا نواسيه على المنفى؟

@alaa: My friend Bahraini freedom fighter Ali Abdulemam has escaped Bahrain after [two] years in hiding. Are we supposed to congratulate him on his freedom or console him on his exile?

And, from the US, Josh Shahryar wonders:

@JShahryar: I wonder what Obama thinks about Ali @Abdulemam‘s escape from #Bahrain. Maybe thank god he wasn't arrested and tortured by his friends?

Meanwhile, Abdulemam is scheduled to speak at the Oslo Freedom Forum on Wednesday:

@OsloFF: Blogger Ali @Abdulemam, missing since March 2011, has escaped Bahrain and will speak at the Oslo Freedom Forum on Wednesday May 15

This will be Abdulemam's first public appearance since going into hiding.

On YouTube, RevolutionMCBahrain shares this video, showing Abdulemam's first video interview, after his escape:

In it, the blogger pledges to continue working towards promoting freedom of speech and his online activism “until the people's demands are met.”

Yemen: Open Letter to Obama

Amira Al Hussaini — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:03:15 +0000

Yemeni blogger Noon Arabia writes an open letter to US President Barak Obama in which she says:

All Yemenis are against terrorism and condemn Al-Qaeda, yet are also against the violent and unethical use of predator drones in combating them. We are against the death of civilians, whom you refer to as collateral damage in the war against terror. We are against the long-term effects on their communities and their lives. We are against any extrajudicial killings.

Saudi-American View on Boston Bombings

Amira Al Hussaini — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 23:52:46 +0000

Nora Abdulkarim shares a Saudi-American perspective on the Boston Bombings.

She explains:

I won't try to simplify what is inherently complex. I will simply present and reflect, and nothing more. No fancy theorizing, no overarching message. This post is only meant to be a glimpse at personal identity – that wild thing which one cannot pin down.

Arabic Hashtag Trending Worldwide on Twitter

Amira Al Hussaini — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 23:46:25 +0000

Arabic hashtags finally trending worldwide on Twitter

Kuwaiti Hamad Al Sabah tweets:

@hmalsabah: Twitter is finally allowing Arabic hashtags to trend worldwide #كلام_مصري_مترجم pic.twitter.com/tb84Nkrk94

Netizens are using the hashtag, which translates to Egyptian Talk Translated, to translate Egyptian expressions and idioms.

Astronaut Tweets Breathtaking Pictures of the Middle East from Space

Amira Al Hussaini — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:33:11 +0000

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, currently in space aboard the International Space Station, is sharing pictures of breathtaking views from around the world on Twitter. Here are a few shots he shares of the Middle East from space.

Ankara:

While orbiting over Turkey, he shares this photograph of Ankara, the capital. He tweets:

@Cmdr_Hadfield: Ankara, capital of Turkey, ancient city, home to 5 million of us and source of Angora wool. pic.twitter.com/x8EutOO5WH

Ankara from space. Photograph by @comdr_hadfield

Tel Aviv:

Over Israel, he shares a picture from Tel Aviv, saying:

@Cmdr_Hadfield: Tel Aviv, with over 400 thousand Tel Avivim on Israel's Mediterranean coast. pic.twitter.com/OlqprC3rrM

Tel Aviv from Space. Photograph shared by @Cmdr_Hadfield on Twitter

Egypt:

Egypt, gets two photographs. The first if of the Nile and the second is of Egypt's bustling capital Cairo.

The Nile:

@Cmdr_Hadfield:

The Nile flowing into the delta at Cairo at night, like a living thing. pic.twitter.com/Zdzm0RmTWa

The Nile from Space. Photograph shared by @Cmdr_Hadfield on Twitter

Cairo:

@Cmdr_Hadfield: Cairo at night. You can see El Gabalaya Park. Are the pyramids lit up? pic.twitter.com/umsYK4N9nO

Cairo from Space. Photograph shared by @Cmdr_Hadfield on Twitter

Egyptian blogger Mostafa Hussein asks:

@moftasa: what's el Gabalaya park though?

It seems that the map they have in space is different from ours.

Egypt's Jewish Community Leader Laid to Rest

Amira Al Hussaini — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:55:22 +0000

Carmen Weinstein, Egypt's Jewish community leader, has died at the age of 82. Zeinobia, at Egyptian Chronicles, collects reactions from the funeral service, which gathered a lot of media attention:

There is a huge surprising media presence as well security presence where those invited to the funeral have to show their IDs. I am surprised to see such media presence as I knew from a friend who is attending the funeral it was private event.

Saudis Condemn Boston Marathon Bombings

Amira Al Hussaini — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:47:08 +0000

At Riyadh Bureau, Ahmed Al Omran sums up Twitter reactions from Saudis living/studying in the US following the Boston Marathon bombings here.

Saudi Arabia's First Female Lawyer?

Amira Al Hussaini — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:43:00 +0000

Arwa al-Hujaili has become Saudi Arabia's first female legal trainee – or three years of apprenticeship ahead before she earns her full legal licensure to become a lawyer. Free Arabs has more here.

Muslims Mourn Boston Marathon Victims

Amira Al Hussaini — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:37:21 +0000

Free Arabs’ co-founder Nasser Weddady – representing the American Islamic Congress – spoke today at an Interfaith Memorial Service in Boston alongside President Obama. To read the speech and watch the video, click here.

Give the Egyptian President a Bath!

Amira Al Hussaini — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:17:02 +0000

Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi has left a stench – on Twitter. Blogger and activist Nawara Negm started the hash tag #حموا_الرئيس [ar], which translates to “Give the President a Bath, after reading in a Lebanese newspaper that some German officials complained about Morsi's body odour to the Egyptian foreign ministry.

She tweets [ar]:

الرئيس لما راح المانيا بعض المسئولين بلغوا الخارجية المصرية انها لازم تنبه مرسي ان ريحته مش حلوة

@nawaranegm: When the President visited Germany some officials informed the Egyptian foreign affairs ministry to alert Morsi that his smell is not nice

This tweet was retweeted 110 times, starting a discussion on the, well, the President's smell.

According to Al Khabr News:

اشتكى رؤساء دول قابلوا الرئيس المصري محمد مرسي أنه ليس نظيفاً وان الرائحة التي تصدر عنه هي كريهة، ولذلك أبلغوا مدير المراسم في القصر الجمهوري ليلفت نظر الرئيس مرسي الى الموضوع.

A number of heads of state who have met with the Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi have complained that he is not clean and that a bad smell emits from him. This is why they have informed the head of protocol at the Presidential Palace to draw the president's attention to this matter.

Negm advices the the president:

هو ممكن يكون بخيل، طب يعني ده فص شبة وليفة وصابونة نابلسي وكلونيا خمس خمسات حتى.. بدل الفضيحة الدولية دي

@nawaranegm: He might be stingy but he could at least used shabba (an astringent), a loofah (sponge), Nabulsi soap, or the 555 cologne and avoided this international scandal

Alyaa Gad picks up the thread, advising Morsi to lose his extra pounds.

زيادة الوزن والكرش يعطل وظائف الكبد وأهمها قدرته على تخليص الجسم من السموم- اللي ريحتها معفنة- فيسافر عبيرنا المهبب عبر القارات!

@AlyaaGad: The increase in weight and the bulging stomache effect the functioning of the liver, most importantly its ability to rid the body of poisons, which smell rotten. This is why its stench travels across continents.

Meanwhile, the jokes continue on Twitter.

@mazzahi tweets:

صاحي من النوم كسلان ومش قادر اقوم اخد دش الصباح, الظاهر عندي أعراض #مرسي! #حموا_الرئيس وحمووووني :))

@mazzahi: I just woke up from bed too exhausted to have my morning shower. It seems that I have Morsi's symptoms. Give the president a bath and me too!

Elham adds:

حموا_الرئيس الجدع دا اكثر واحد اتهزأ في سبعة شهور ياحرام

@inspiration_k: This man has been ridiculed more than anyone else over the past seven months. Poor thing!

And Omar Mitkees asks:

حموا_الرئيس و لا لسه?

@o_mitkees: Have they given the president a bath or not yet?

Saudi Account of Boston Marathon Bombings

Amira Al Hussaini — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:08:10 +0000

Saudi student Wael Omar Moathen shares this eyewitness account [ar] of his experience at the Boston Marathon bombing. Ahmed Al Omran offers a translation here:

Like any human being who lives in this city, I picked up my camera and headed to Mile 26, the last mile in the race. I was taking photos and enjoying the cheers.

Click on the link above to read his experience as the horror unfolds.